Berliner Gazette

Even decades after the official end of the Cold War, “the East” remains the Other. Only because of this reinforced Othering of what Western media nowadays designates “post-communist” space can “the East” so comfortably function as a black box of the West’s “ethical imperialism.”

Designed to accelerate capitalism, logistics is key to maintaining the Western phantasm that ‘capitalism is an intelligent computer’ and to concealing the labor of those whose hands sustain its ‘operating system.’ In this SILENT WORKS interview Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to scholar-activist Evelina Gambino about how logistical landscapes are becoming the sites of labor struggles.

To maintain the Western phantasm that ‘capitalism is an intelligent computer,’ the hidden labor of those whose hands silently uphold it is framed as heroic. This promotes sacrificing oneself for ‘the (operating) system.’ In this SILENT WORKS interview Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to Sydney-based scholar-activist Angela Mitropoulos about thinking labor in a different way.

While Japan is promoting robots in the care industry – from Human Support Robots to ‘emotional robots’ – the realities of human labor in this field are being blocked out. In this SILENT WORKS interview, Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to social historian Eiji Oguma about how the ‘corona crisis’ reveals some discomforting truths about the ‘robotization of care work in Japan.’

Will governments and businesses use the ‘corona crisis’ as an opportunity to transform the economic system so that it meets human needs? Or will the shutdown be used to radicalize capitalism? In this SILENT WORKS interview, Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to sociologist Kerstin Guhlemann, who conducts research on the interface between hospitality, Industry 4.0 and health protection.

The COVID-19-induced security measures are, last but not least, about minimizing the risk that humans play for ‘frictionless capitalism.’ This means securitizing ‘our’ vulnerability and contagiousness. In this SILENT WORKS interview, Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to Berlin-based critic Tom Holert about control practices at the interface between the factory and the school.

India’s shutdown at the end of March was followed by an ‘exodus’ from cities like Delhi, where masses of day laborers and migrant workers were working and now had to return ‘home.’ Is this a mere sign of disaster? Or does it also signal an opportunity for social justice struggles? In this SILENT WORKS interview Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to Chennai-based scientist Sujatha Byravan.

Workers’ struggles play a special role during the ‘corona crisis.’ They bring to light that overcoming this crisis will depend on how the systemic errors of capitalism are countered. In this SILENT WORKS Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki ask scholar-activist Dario Azzellini: Will these errors just be corrected or will they provoke fundamental changes?

The ‘corona crisis’ reveals that care workers play a particularly important role in post-industrial societies. In this SILENT WORKS interview Magdalena Taube and Krystian Woznicki talk to the scholar-activist Christine Braunersreuther about why this is only now coming to light and what political consequences it could have.